Auto lamp



W. TRAUTNER v AUTO LAMP Aug. 25, 1942.

Filed Aug. 1, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l 1 l III INVENT OR.

Aug. 25, 1942. w. TRAU'IY'NER AUTO LAMP FiledAug. l, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 R w M Patented Aug. 25, 1942 TENT OFFICE 'AUTO LAMP Wagn Trautner, Springdale, Ohio, assignor to The K-D Lamp Company, Cincinnati, Ohio, a

corporation of Ohio Application August 1, 1940, Serial No. 349,141

2 Claims.

The lamp to whichthis invention has been directed, is intended primarily for use as an item of automotive equipment and is especially designed with an object to produce an intense beam of light of far reaching character and light pattern specifically calculated to illuminate a road surface in strict compliance with provisions of laws provided for the regulation'of such illumination.

Another object of this invention is to produce a lamp of this character, in which the size thereof has been reduced to a minimum for practical purposes and in which the system of reflection employed and the simplicity of construction of the elements thereof to obtain and retain utmost accuracy attains results of the greatest value for production purposes, replacement of parts, fool-proof qualities, and cost considerations.

These and other objects are attained in the lamp described in the following specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation taken through a typical embodiment of my invention, disclosing principal elements and including features of my invention, as will be described.

Figs. 2 and 3 are fragmental perspective views of a detail of my invention.

Figs. 4 and 5 are fragmental perspective views of another detail of my invention also incorporated in the elements to which Figs. 2 and 3 relate.

Figs. 6, 7 and'8 are associated details of another feature of my invention.

The principal elements of my invention are a lamp body or casing H within which is located a main reflector [2, a lamp bulb l3 within the main reflector, a supplemental reflector 14 substantially capping the lamp bulb, and a closure for the lamp comprising a lens l5 with such details of the closure as will be described.

Body ll, may be of any desired shape, and is provided at its forward or open end with a shoulder l6 which is bounded by a flange I! which cooperates therewith to receive and locate the rim l8 and flange l9 respectively of the main reflector l2. Within the confines of reflector flange I9, and supported on the reflector rim I8, is a gasket 2|] of cork or other cushioning and sealing material upon which the closure lens l5 may be pressed for proper sealing of the reflector interior against dust, mud, moisture and the like thereto, as is usual. To retain the lens in this position and to function as a pressure agency thereon, I provide a rim 2|, preferably of split form andconstituting a band having its ends equipped with lugs 22 and 23 by means of which a bolt 24 through them will operate to draw the rim tight upon the body. The shape of the band transversely is such that its inturned rear edge 25, bearing against the rear Wall of the body flange I! will not only tend to force the band rearwardly but also cause the forward edge 26 to tighten upon the inclined lens rim 2?, thereby forcing the rim to be pressed tightly against the gasket.

The supplemental reflector I4 is shaped of spherical form and utilizes the concentrated filament of the lamp bulb at its focal center as a source of light from which the reflector may function. Also, the bulb is so positioned within the main reflector by suitable prefocusing bulb and socket construction, as to function directly with the main reflector as well as with the supplemental reflector. I am aware that the provision of a supplemental reflector designed for amplification of main reflector results is well known in the art'and has been made the subject of many patents. Therefore, other than to the specific features which will-appear in this specification I lay no claim.

Since accuracy of main and supplemental reflector contours, particularly sharp 'cornered edges on the supplemental reflector, coupled with accuracy of placements thereof relatively'to the concentrated bulb filament formation, is an essential of my invention, preferably coupled with the particular type of main reflector I have incorporated, as well as the specific lens construction I have shown, I .have mounted the supplemental reflector in a manner such that it is supported most rigidly, accurately, and in a manner such that quick attachment and detachment is accomplished. I have done this by means of a narrow bar 28 which traverses the reflector opening vertically and centrally and to the middle of which the supplemental reflector is attached. To do this the bar is provided with a formed socket '29 to which the supplemental reflector is attached, as by rivets 30 or a similar agency. The bar 28 is made preferably of sheet metal of channel shape, as Fig. 4 suggests, with its rigidity increased through the adoption of a deep central beam form, as it were, as shown in Fig. 1. Toward its ends the beam tapers out into fingered locatingelements, the upper end, whichis shown in Fig. 3, being provided with three fingers 3|, .32.and 33, the

central finger 32 being crooked at an incline as shown, while the side fingers 3| and 33 are formed straight. To receive its mounting at this end, the reflector rim [8 is provided with a depression or recess 34 which is of finger thickness in depth, as shown in Fig. 2, and in which an opening 35 is provided centrally to receive the bar finger 32 while the recess surface to each side thereof receives the fingers 3| and 33 in supporting contact and with the surfaces of fingers and rim flush for proper reception of the gasket 20 smoothly. At its lower end the bar is provided with three fingers 36, 31 and 38, as shown in Fig. 4, but here the central finger 31 preferably is made straight while the side fingers are bent inwardly, at right angles thereto. To receive this lower end of the bar the main reflector rim I8 is recessed or depressed as at 39, finger thickness, as shown in Fig. 5, with openings 40 and 4| therein to receive the bent fingers, while the recessed surface between the openings 40 and 4| receives finger 31 in supporting contact, with the surfaces of fingers and rim flush to support gasket 28 smoothly at this point. The act of mounting the supplemental reflector consists in the simple angular placement of the bar at its top end first, so that its finger 32 enters its reflector slot 35 and is arrested when fingers 3| and 33 rest on the reflector recess surface, then to be followed by registering the fingers 33 and 38 of the lower end of the bar with their reflector rim recesses 40 and 4|, and pushing these fingers into the recesses until finger 31 rests on the surface of the recess 39 between its openings 45 and 4|. Thus is rigidity, accuracy, and ease of placement and removal of the supplemental reflector attained.

In the optical system incorporated in the lamp I have chosen the type of configured reflector commonly known as striped and in the trade as Flatlite. This is clearly shown in Fig. 1. Such a reflector, with its vertical stripes, produces a substantially eliptical light pattern with its major axis occupying horizontal placement, when its source of light is such as the concentrated filament of the typical prefocused bulb l3 which I have shown. The socket 42 which receives the base of the bulb and through which it receives electrical connection with wire 43, is of yielding construction for the maintenance of proper electrical contact and to assist in retaining the bulb in proper position for focal relationship with reflector l2, for which any of several suitable socket constructions may be used. An additional provision of value in the construction of the lamp is that the supplemental reflector is so secured on its bar 28 that it occupies a tipped relationship whereby the upper portion of the reflector adjacent to the mouth thereof, is shielded from the direct rays of light from the filament, as well as from rays reflected from the supplemental reflector. This portion of the typical lamp reflector, which, as in my invention herein, is of parabolic form, is usually difficult to control as to precise shape and for this reason creates light reflections which are most diflicult to control. Hence the occasion for the tipped supplemental reflector. Furthermore, to assist in the control of stray light from the upper part of the reflector, near its mouth, I provide closure lens with a prism 44 which, with its divergent sides extending downwardly will refract the light so that any rays of upward inclination will be refracted toward the horizontal or below and thereby reduce glare materially.

Another feature of the lamp I have shown is the manner in which unsightly details of the joint in the closure rim 2| are concealed. As seen in Fig. '7, the joints between the ends 45 and 46 of the split rim 2|, with its lugs 22 and 23 and its bolt 24, as seen in Fig. 1, which holds the rim in place, is hidden from view and the lamp distinctively ornamented by an escutcheon or emblematic device 41, which, as seen in Figs. 1 and 6 may be of molded, cast or similar construction of plastic, metal or the like. Such a shape preferably is provided with a midrib 48 in which an opening 49 is provided for reception of the closure bolt 24, while side access openings 50 permit of resort to the rim tightening bolt when the midrib is located between the lugs 22 and 23. Thus the ornamentation is held in place at its front end. Between its forward fastening by means of the midrib 48, and the extreme rear end, I provide another fastening which consists of a lug 5| which enters a registering opening 52 in the body II, a cooperating fin 53 which occupies a slit 54, an L-shaped clip 55, and a screw 56. In the case of a molded lug 5| a threaded metal sleeve 51 preferably is embedded therein for the reception of the screw 55. In fastening the rear of the ornament the clip 55 is located with its opening 58 occupied by the screw and its slit 59 occupied by the fin 53 of the ornament, as suggested in Fig. 1 and in this assembly in Figs. 6, '7 and 8. Tightening the screw places the clip 55 under tension and draws the ornament tightly and yieldingly into place.

Obvious directional reflection and refraction through the system of reflectors, light source and lense employed, are shown in dash lines in Fig. 1, and, since the functions thereof are so well known and obvious to those skilled in the art, I shall not elaborate thereon any further.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. An auto lamp embodying an optical system comprising a parabolic reflector, a source of light at the focus of the parabolic reflector, a spherical reflector within the parabolic reflector with its center in the source of light, and a bar mounting the spherical reflector with its opening tipped relatively to the opening of the parabolic reflector, whereby one side of the parabolic reflector in the region of its opening will be shielded from direct light from the source of light, said bar being mounted on the parabolic reflector across the opening thereof, said mounting consisting of a series of fingers at each end thereof adapted to hear at opposite points upon the rim of the parabolic reflector, whereby lateral stability of said bar relatively to the parabolic reflector is assured, and additional fingers engaging reflector openings which fix the position of the bar and its spherical reflector relatively to the source of light and the parabolic reflector.

2. An auto lamp embodying an optical system comprising a parabolic reflector, a source of light at the focus of the parabolic reflector, a spherical reflector within the parabolic reflector with its center in the source of light, and a bar mounting the spherical reflector integrally therewith and wth its opening tipped relatively to the opening of the parabolic reflector, whereby one side of the parabolic reflector in the region of its opening will be shielded from direct light from the source of light, said bar being mounted on the parabolic reflector across the opening thereof, said mounting consisting of a series of fingers at each end thereof adapted to, bear at opposite points upon the rim of the parabolic reflector, whereby lateral stability of said bar relatively to the parabolic reflector is assured, and additional fingers engaging reflector openings which fix the position of the bar and its spherical reflector relatively to the source of light and the parabolic reflector, said additional fingers having different relative locations on the opposite bar ends, whereby the spherical reflector is assured of identical accuracy of placement upon each replacement thereof after removal for servicing and repair purposes, and means retaining said elements in assembled relationship.

WAGN 'I'RAU'I'NER. 

